Half Moon Bay Brewing: Come for the View, Stay for the Beer

The brewpub at Half Moon Bay
Brewing has a family and dog-friendly patio with one of the best views on the
coast. But don’t let the view fool you. These guys make some seriously great
beer.

Brewmaster
James Costa has been brewing beer in the Bay Area for two decades, and has
elevated the beer program at the Half Moon Bay brewpub for the past four years
with bold beers in a variety of styles.

Barrel
Manager Clark Benson, who previously worked his magic at Jackie O’s in Athens,
Ohio, and The Rare Barrel in Berkeley, has teamed with Costa for a barrel
program, called Ocho Barril (eight barrels).

Ocho
Barril Series: Magic Barrel Genie

Belgian
Strong Dark with Raspberries

Magic Barrel Genie is a Belgian
Strong Dark with fresh raspberries — lots of them. This Genie spent 12 months
in pinot noir wine barrels, with a custom blend of brettanomyces, lactobacillus
and pediococcus added during secondary fermentation. The result is a complex
and provocative mélange of flavors.

A burst of
fresh raspberries virtually jumps out of the glass as you pour, and fruity
tartness explodes on the palate with the first sip.

As the
beer warms, you’ll appreciate the dark, dried fruit flavors characteristic of
the Belgian Strong Dark style, along with the subtle influence of the pinot
barrels.

“I've
always been a fan of using local ingredients in beer,” Benson says. “That's
what makes certain beers very special, because they can only be created or
obtained in that area.” Magic Barrel Genie is an ideal beer to enjoy on a
dreary day or a long night, as you ponder the mysteries of life and appreciate
the considerable technical skill required to concoct such an outstanding beer.

Calf-eine

Coffee
Milk Stout

Our second beer from HMB is a
coffee lover’s delight. Calf-eine is a milk stout flavored with 30 gallons of
espresso roast coffee from San Francisco’s Ritual coffee that the brewers cold
brewed themselves (and you thought brewers only brewed beer!).

Mastering
the malt balance is critical for this style. “Chocolate is definitely a roasty
malt, but it can have a little sweetness to it,” Costa says. “Roast malt can be
overwhelming if you use too much of it. And black malt is very acrid, so you
just want to use a hint of it to accentuate the coffee flavor.

Costa
balances the 7.5% abv beer with a little bit of lactose to smooth out the
roasted malts and coffee.

When you
open and pour Calf-eine you’ll be overwhelmed by the aroma of fresh roasted
coffee: It smells like breakfast.

Enjoy it
with doughnuts or cupcakes, or, as Costa suggests, combine it with vanilla bean
ice cream for an amazing beer float.